As manuring, which is part of this, is treated separately, we have here only to consider the best means of stirring the soil to give air to the roots of the plants, and to keep down weeds, which, if allowed, injure the yield vastly.

Unless when plants are full blown and in full bearing (and not even then unless they are planted close) it is not only not necessary, but a waste of labour and money, to open the soil all over the garden with a view of stimulating or cultivating the plants. Much money has been wasted in this way: for instance, in a garden planted 6 by 6 or 6 by 5, and the plants but two years old, I have seen the whole dug many times in the year. The roots of the said plants did not protrude at that age more than 1 foot or so, what good could they possibly derive from the extra space dug?

The soil over the rootlets of Tea plants cannot be stirred too often. The oftener it is done the oftener the trees flush, and when young the more vigorously will they grow. What is the best way to do it?

I believe simply by digging round each plant. I go to show why this is, I believe, the best.

Putting aside the waste incurred in digging a whole garden when not necessary, the way the soil is then dug near the plants is, I think, objectionable. The ground is dug in a straight line up to the plant, and in doing so, if the digging is deep, roots are very apt to be cut. Again, when the work is task-work, the men shirk as much as possible digging close up to the stems under the branches, and thus the soil over much of the roots, is not stirred at all. This is not easy to detect, for you must look under the branches of each tree to see how the work has been done.

In “digging round plants” the men should follow the kodalee round the tree, and the position of the blade in the same line as the roots makes any injury very unlikely. Even if tasked, as when the work is examined, it is only round the plants, it is more readily perceived if the ground has not been stirred close up to the stems.

I therefore prefer digging round plants, with the view of cultivating them, to digging the whole garden. I believe the object is better attained. That it is much cheaper is evident.

The annulus, or space to be dug round, beginning 9 inches from the stem, varies with the age of the plant. Up to two years one kodalee in width will do, and after that say 2 feet.

The draw-hoe of 8 inches wide is a better tool for the above than the kodalee, especially as it is work well suited to boys, and the “draw-hoe” is a lighter tool.

Till plants from seed at stake are a year old, and till seedlings from nurseries are the same age, calculating in the latter case from the transplanting, no kodalee or even draw-hoe should come near them. The soil round for 6 inches should be slightly opened once a month or so, but it should be done with the “koorpee.”

We have now discussed the cultivation of the plants. The above often done, say once a month, if possible, during the season, with judicious pruning and liberal manuring, constitutes high cultivation. Did weeds not grow there would be no need to do more, but weeds do grow, and must not be allowed. The richer the soil the more weeds, the more manure you apply the more weeds also.

Weeds choke the plant and diminish the yield. Weeds take from the soil, and from manure, when given, the strength you want for your constantly recurring flushes. If, therefore, you have a large crop of weeds you have a small yield of Tea.

How to stop this? There is one golden rule, “never let them get ahead of you.” This, it is true, argues ample labour; but unless you have ample labour for the area you cultivate, better let your money lie in the Bank and not grow Tea. Reduce your area until you can keep ahead of your weeds, for keep ahead you must if you wish for success.

The secret of keeping ahead of weeds is to destroy them when young, to do this again and again, as often as they come up, never allowing them to bear seed. The kodalee, an excellent digging tool, is not good for this: you want a lighter instrument, which can go over more ground and will not open the soil in the dry season to any depth. The Dutch hoe, the widest procurable in the blade, with a long lithe handle of 6 feet, is perfect for this.

With weeds at the height fit for a Dutch hoe, viz., 3 or 4 inches, and not numerous (which they will not be if you have “kept ahead”), a man will easily do 45 square nulls, id est, 720 square yards. He would not do more than 30 nulls with a kodalee.

The Dutch hoe must be well known. It is used for weeding drives and walks in England.

To conclude shortly, for “hoeing and weeding” I recommend as follows:—

Dig the whole garden thrice in the year, viz., spring, rains, and autumn. Bury all weeds as you dig in trenches between the lines.

In the intervals use the Dutch hoe as often as weeds appear.

Cultivate the plants by digging round them once a month if possible.

Do all this and you will find your garden is kept clean and well cultivated, at far less cost than you incurred for cultivation when it was choked with weeds for months together, while your yield will be at the same time much increased.

If you keep your garden thus clean, and do not allow the weeds to get ahead of you, the following table shows about the cost of each cultivation operation each time you do it:—

If weeds get ahead the cost in each case will be nearly double the above.

The following table, which is as near the mark as any such estimate can be, will be found useful. It will also be made use of when calculating the cost of making a garden in Chapter XXIX., pages 164, 165, and 166.

The above rates in the case of a 300-acre garden making will include everything but buildings.

The rates are progressive, because the expenditure on the following increases, or should increase, yearly.

• 1. Manager’s pay (say every second year).
• 2. Assistant (first entertained, say third year).
• 3. Cost and wear of tools.
• 4. Cost of pruning.
• 5. Cost of cultivation.
• 6. Cost of manure.
• 7. General expenses.

No cost for Tea manufacture is included in the above, as this is estimated for separately. See table at pages 160, 161, and 162.

Keeping up high cultivation in every way and manuring liberally, a made garden in full bearing can be kept up to its highest producing powers (including the pay of the manager, establishment, and everything else) for Rs. 100 per acre per annum.

An acre of Tea may, I am aware, be kept up in a manner for Rs. 50 or so yearly, but the profit on such a plantation must be nil.

On the contrary, with the above expenditure per acre, on a good and favourably located garden, the profit will be very large. See table at page 172.

It is with Tea as with all other cultivation. It has been proved in England, and in all other countries where really high cultivation is followed out, that the higher the system followed the greater the profit.